The influence of openness to change on academics' research publication in public higher education institutions in Tanzania

Purpose The major purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of openness to change on research publication in higher education institutions (HEI) in Tanzania. Design/methodology/approach With a sample of 247 academics, a cross-sectional survey design was used and questionnaires were the primary data collection tool. The collected data were tested using mean and standard deviations, and the causal–effect relationship between the independent and dependent variables was tested using simple linear regression. Findings The findings of this study revealed that openness to change positively and significantly influence research publication in higher education ( β = 0.598 and p < 0.001). Practical implications The study recommends that HEI should consider openness to change value as one among criteria for hiring academics as well as developing good programs that will help academics develop the academics' self-awareness with regard to what takes for one to be a productive researcher. Originality/value This is the first study to examine the influence of openness to change as a personal value on academics’ research publication in Tanzanian HEI. In this instance, the study contributes to the existing literature on the influence of academics' personal values in terms of openness to change on research publication.